St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-24

turn, and if it hadn't been for that same
ear | wouldn't be here now. I'd been off
prospecting up among the mountains
| for couple of days with my
partner, Jack Grodale. We thought
we'd struck something; signs were
good, at least. But the thing never
panned out much, though that's neither
here nor there. AS | was saying, we
thought we could make it pay. So left
Jack and went back to Hornetsville for
provisions. | had turned out of the
branch gulch, in which we'd been pros
pccting, and was scrambling along the
sides of big sort of canon cut that
led down to the valley in which the
camp was situated. The slope was pretty
steep and slightly pushed. l had to
make my way along carefully, for below
me the sides of the gulch formed a series
Of natural terraces, and finally went
straight down to the little stream that
splashed and fixed and chuckled along
the bottom.
"All of a sudden heard noise like
thunder 1t was the middle Of The fore
noon, and the sun was shining brightly.
The roar grew louder. In an instant it
dashed upon me; it aoas u 5andSIde. |
didn't know what to do. | couldn't tell
whether to 60 forward or backward. l
was pretty scared for minute. But in
that minute an idea came into my head
cIcpt down as fast as | could to the edge
OF the little steep which led to the first
terrace. The cliff was perpendicular
incining in if anything; it was about
twenty feet down and the ledge below was
some six or seven feet wide with grass and
bushes on it. | was hanging over there
in another moment, and down pumped,
pretty we'll shaken up and bruised, but
all right. The approaching roar became
louder and louder. lay down close to
the rock. Pretty soon stones and dirt
and trees came a whizzing and rumbllng
off the ledge, and shot past me down into
tie ravine-a regular cataract OF stuH. 1t
kept up for about a half an hour, and
then the worst was over. But | had to
snuggle close, you better believe, after
the main body had got by, for now and
then a struggling rock would tumble
leisurely over the ledge, and sock down
too close for comfort. [ lay still till |
was sure the thing was done for. Then |
got up and took a survey. | was in pretty
pickle The terrace narrowed in both
directions, sort of alligator shape. 1t
was thirty feet down TO the next terrace,
and that didn't appear to have any out
let, either OF course, [ couldn't shin
back up that rock. didn't know eohat
TO do. | let off few yells, with a
faint hope that somebody might be
within hearing. could just catch a
in the valley through the opening of
the gulch, so far that it looked like a
cluster of boulders beside the river |
heard no answer to my calls, but the far
off echo from the other side of the gulch
and the faint chatter of the stream below.
sat down and thought, every once in a
while giving yell. till the echo beganto
make me feel queer and lonesome-like.
Then | shut up altogether and began to
smoke.
"Old 10 Seven-up told me afterward
how it was. He and Jim Budgelow were
playing quiet little game of old sledge
at Tom Mulligan's Double Parlors. Jim
had the bind on him 10 privately ten
dered me his thanks afterward, in liquid
form), when Jim suddenly dropped the
cards and listened. He had fortunately
forgotten his plug, and left it at his board
ing-house after dinner.
"'Great job exclaimed Jim, some
bodys in trouble up there in Red Hen
Gulch! Get out the boys and we'll 60
see what's up. Hear that yell? No! of
course YOU didn't. You couldn't hear the
steam-whistle down at the quarry-mill
unless you climbed up on the roof and
laid your ear to the pipe. Don't talk
go get the boysn
1T was beginning to grow dark when l
heard faint calls away off down the
mountains. l started up, put my hands
to my mouth and roared like fog horn.
The shouts came nearer and nearer, and
at last they were right above ME. Pretty
soon | could just make out Jim's head
peering over the ledge above. They'd
been forehanded enough to bring rope,
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